Chilling in the Jungle

---

The highlight of Sumatra is definitely Bukit Lawang.
Set right in the jungle, next to an Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, the place is amazing. Everything is quite minimalist, power is from generators etc. This is partially because huge floods came through the area in 2003, killing 300 people, and destroying a huge number of houses.
Initially I was staying in a pretty grotty guesthouse, but then I took a walk up the river, and found the Jungle Inn, a luxury Tarzan styled guesthouse. I splashed out and spent twice as much on a room as I had been (only $10), but it was worth it! I had a four-poster bed, a balcony, hammock and a waterfall right outside the window.
I spent a couple of days there, hanging out with a Scottish guy called Chris, trying to do as little as possible! We did however go tubing down the river, which was great, even more so after it had been raining! The afternoons were usually spent sitting drinking Jungle tea, watching Orangutans on the opposite side of the river.
After doing nothing for several days I felt sufficiently motivated to go on a two-day trek. On the first morning we saw 3 Orangutans as we were walking through the jungle, including one which started following us. It was only when it was a few meters away that I got a full appreciation for the size of the creature!
That night we slept in a tent in the jungle next to the river, which was a little less than comfortable, although our jungle meal was excellent.
The next morning we went up the river, to get a high-pressure massage from a waterfall (no happy ending), then rafted back down the river!

---